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March 29, 2005
Its Not Slander If Its True
Captains Quarter’s links to this article about a slander case in Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court refused Monday to step into a lawsuit against a newspaper, leaving the media in Pennsylvania legally vulnerable when they report defamatory comments by public figures.
The newspaper in question quoted a politician who said some rather nasty and apparently untrue things about another politician. As Ed writes,
The Daily Local News did not create the accusations; they only reported them, fairly and accurately. The citizens of West Chester found out what a despicable character they had elected to the city council and that allowed them to kick him off the council at the next election. It appears that the plaintiffs only included the Daily Local News in their lawsuit in order to take advantage of the deep pockets of the newspaper, rather than appreciating their role in shaming a backward and ignorant fool.
Ed points out the key problem with the lawsuit against the paper: It did not lie. It repeated someone else’s lie, but that is what newspapers are for. If a person does not lie, then they have not slandered.
At this rate if the courts in Pennsylvania do not do their job and throw out this case, then the plaintiff might want to go to the UK to file another suit.
Posted by Pete at March 29, 2005 02:38 PM
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